Heretofore in the art, numerous types of clamping and securing devices have been known. The general public is well aware of the use of vices for securing and maintaining a workpiece when an operation is to be performed thereon. However, such known vices and clamps are peculiarly adapted for one specific geometric structure. The jaws of known vices are typically flat, for securing planar surfaces. While some devices do include arcuate jaws for securing pipe and other objects of circular cross-section, even these vices are not adapted for receiving and maintaining objects of a complex geometric nature.
If a curvate workpiece is secured in a device having planar jaws, only point contact of the workpiece is achieved, and the secured engagement is generally less than that desired. Similarly, if a flat workpiece is to be secured by a clamp or device having curvate jaws, only point contact will again be obtained. There are no known devices which may be used for obtaining secured forceful engagement with a piece while conforming to the geometric structure of that piece.
In present day clutch systems, the inflexibility of the system itself, failing to allow the wear plate and friction disk to fully mate with each other, results in high points being left on the wear disk, uneven wear being experienced by the system, and reduced effectiveness and life of the clutch assembly. Since the wear plate may not achieve adjustable engagement with the clutch disk, only the high points of the wear plate make secured contact. Again, in the art of clutch assemblies, there is not provided a suitable means for adjustably achieving secured forceful engagement between the wear plate and friction disk.
In general, there is a need in the art for a device which can make contact with different geometric surfaces, conform to the geometries thereof, and do so in a forceful and securing manner.
There are teachings in the prior art pertaining to apparatus which is adaptable to conform to various geometric structures. While the prior art has made general suggestions of such adjustability, the art has failed to achieve a securing or clamping device for achieving forceful engagement of workpieces of complex geometric structure. The known prior art is illustrated generally in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,153,727; 1,256,217; 2,486,494; 626,427; 3,318,594; 2,411,790; 4,047,709; 4,088,312; 4,027,868; 3,868,102; and 3,584,863. Additionally, British Pat. No. 1,227,530, and Austrian Pat. No. 101,174, are of general interest to the concept of the invention presented herein.